Inclusion Policy

Everyone can contribute or participate.

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Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues - Inclusion Policy

We want everyone who visits our website or attends the festival to feel that they can enjoy, contribute and participate exactly as they’d want. Find out more by checking on our access information about booking tickets and travelling to and visiting music venues.  Please let us know how we can improve if your experience is less than satisfactory.

What are we doing?

RVJ&B’s main focus is a broad based portfolio of jazz programmes promoting increased participation in jazz as an art form for musicians and audiences, a focus influenced by jazz’s black music heritage, supporting a priority for inclusion and cultural diversity.

Our portfolio links 7 jazz activities:

  1. a festival;
  2. a monthly gig programme;
  3. two community big bands;
  4. agency bookings for regional bands;
  5. rural jazz events;
  6. jazz jams;
  7. skills workshops (performance & improvisation).

Our commitment to cultural diversity means we aim to:

  • headline more women artists
  • more young artists
  • and more artists from BAME communities

We work with Jazz North’s Northernline programme prioritising new work with young musicians throughout the year. Weekly programmes on Ribble FM, and links on Giants of Jazz radio promote RVJ&B to a wider audience.

Our Main Aims

We will increase participation by:

  • including more women,
  • disabled and deaf people,
  • young people,
  • people from BAME communities,
  • and people on low incomes; as musicians and as audiences.

Inclusion of black music genres - mainstream jazz, jazz funk, jazz fusion, soul, hip hop, blues, and contemporary jazz will produce a richer, creative, and varied programme - more attractive to excluded groups.

By working with these groups we aim to attract new audiences from neighbouring communities in Blackburn, Burnley and Preston where arts-engagement is lower. We will explore other options for making the festival more accessible to low income groups, via our wider portfolio. A pre and post festival support programme will link with, promote and celebrate festival events.

In recent years we have increased our rural appeal across Ribble Valley bringing artists to village halls, hospitality venues and street locations.

We aim to attract more participants to an extended & varied workshop programme, working with schools, and communities that can be marginalised from mainstream performance, whether on an amateur basis or as professionals and have committed to a Keychange pledge as well as specific learning session for Women in Jazz.

Please let us know what you think

If you would like to help us in our aims, or if you had trouble with any part of our statement, please get in touch. We’d like to hear from you in any of the following ways:

Email us at john@rvjazzandblues.co.uk
Contact us using our general contact form here...

This inclussion statement was updated on 5th March 2022